//------------------------------//
// An Awkward Dance 
// Story: Pumpkin and Spike 2: At the Gala 
// by Silver Butcher 
//------------------------------//

"So when are we gonna ruin the party?" Pumpkin asked Spike
"About 2 hours."
"What!? Why that long?"
"Celestia love's it when the party is ruined, and she'll be stuck greeting guests for the next 2 hours or so, so we wait until she can enjoy the mayhem." Spike said happily, there was silence for a second, "Do you know how to dance?" He asked
"No."
"Well neither do I, so let's go embarrass ourselves," Spike said, offering her his hand, Pumpkin's face turned red
"Dance! but....I....we....what if..."
"Relax, the only ponies that know you here are the element's, your brother, and me. And if we start Dancing, Pinkie's gonna dance with him." Pumpkin still looked embarrassed about the idea, but offered Spike her hoof, Spike took it and the two walked to the dance floor, Pumpkin, With Spike's help, Got on her back hooves and wrapped her front hooves around his neck, Spike held her waist
"I feel silly" Pumpkin said
"This is the only way we can dance together, any other way and we'd be dancing two different dances," Spike said as the two began to dance, Several ponies muttered at how odd the two looked together, but most just ignored them. After a few minutes, There dance slowed a little bit
"So....Made any new friends?"
"Do you count?" Pumpkin asked
"I don't think so, we've been friends for a while." Spike was silent for a second "But no pressure, you'll make your own friends in time, long as you have fun with them."
"And if you like them to right?" Pumpkin asked. Spike started laughing
"Pumpkin, I'm about 28, you're about 12, You need friends your own age, not some dragon who's over half your age."
"But I like you. you're the only friend I've ever had, I won't ditch you for newer friends."
"Yeah...That's what Twilight told me."
"And you're both still friend right?"
"Eh...where more like family at this point, but we're not as close as we use to be. someponies....and dragons grow apart, It's just how the world is." Pumpkin was red in the face again
"Well, I think that's stupid, If making new friend's mean's losing your old ones...then I don't want new friends." The two had stopped dancing.
"It's all right, It's just how the world works, Listen Pumpkin, Even if you do get new friends, it doesn't mean you have to forget your old friends, it just..." Pumpkin dropped onto her front hooves and ran off
"NO, I don't want to forget!" She yelled angrily.
"Dah, why must I suck so much at everything!?" Spike facepalmed, and turned, meeting with Pinkie and Pound
"How'd you know I was here?" Pinkie asked
"I have great hearing, Could you go talk to her? I'm just making it worse." Pinkie gave a salute and left Spike with Pound.
"If you hurt my sister, I'll beat you up," Pound said
"I won't stop ya" Spike replied, "come on kid, I'll show ya the Garden."



Pinkie found Pumpkin pretty quickly, she was sitting on one of the balconies overlooking the Garden, she was red faces and crying a little. Pinkie patted her head
"So Spike told ya what might happen if you get new friends I'm guessing?" Pumpkin just nodded "Look Pumpkin, Spike...Isn't good at talking to others, most likely due to mostly talking to his friends threw letters, but He didn't mean to make it sound like you would just...forget him, as long as you still hold a special place for him in your heart, you can make new friends. You might end up liking some of them more than Spike, or less than Spike, but that doesn't mean you have to forget him." Pinkie said as the two looked down at Pound and Spike. Pound was trying to get one of the animals to come to him, Spike had a Toucan on his right shoulder. they briefly heard him speak
"Hey Joey, how ya been doing?" he asked the bird, it squawked at him, they heard him call Fluttershy for translation, And Pumpkin giggled
"He look's so silly with that bird on him" she sighed "I know what he meant, but I don't want to like anypony more than Spike, he's my Friend, and the only one who wasn't related to me, or a family friend to talk to me and make me their friend" She sighed "I don't..." Pinkie hushed her
"It's OK, You don't have to make new friends if you don't want to, but one day you will, and when you do, I'm sure Spike will befriend them to" Pinkie smiled "Now let's get down there, Joey owe's me 5 bits."